CBS Draws Heat From Progressives for Segment on GOP Effort to ‘Tighten Voting Laws’: Who is ‘Stopping You From Saying Voter Suppression?’
CBS News drew heat from progressives for a recent segment on the Republican-led effort to “tighten state voting laws” — with many viewing “voter suppression” as the more accurate characterization.
The segment explained that after Donald Trump lost the 2020 presidential election and proceeded to push the “Big Lie” that the victory was stolen from him, red states began to alter their voting laws.
Iowa, Georgia, and Florida have already rewritten their election laws– with Texas not too far behind.
The amended laws have received immense pushback from Democrats, with even President Joe Biden decrying Georgia’s new laws as an “atrocity” and “Jim Crow in the 21st Century.”
So, progressives were quick to criticize CBS News for dubbing the new laws as a simple tightening — The Daily Show producer Matt Negrin faulting them for “adopting Republicans’ propaganda language.”
CBS News again adopts Republicans’ propaganda language — “tighten voting laws” — instead of calling it voter suppression because this network is literally run by Republicans https://t.co/iakFfT32I1
— Matt Negrin, HOST OF HARDBALL AT 7PM ON MSNBC (@MattNegrin) May 4, 2021
who at your company is stopping you from saying “voter suppression” or is it a purposeful choice you have made to support the suppression efforts
— Matt Negrin, HOST OF HARDBALL AT 7PM ON MSNBC (@MattNegrin) May 4, 2021
Here’s a sampling of other criticism:
“Tighten” voting laws. This is a fail. https://t.co/qPwzj4CqVk
— Soledad O’Brien (@soledadobrien) May 4, 2021
Very Orwellian to call voter suppression “tighten.” https://t.co/wmerK987Ol
— Oliver Willis (@owillis) May 4, 2021
You tighten a bolt. Not a vote. https://t.co/RR6HB6b7ba
— mike freeman (@mikefreemanNFL) May 4, 2021
Are they “tightening state voting laws?” Really? Or are they systematically seeking to suppress the vote, especially where people of color and other likely Democratic voters are concerned? Framing like this is validating for their anti-democratic assaults. https://t.co/yO9s057g5V
— David Rothkopf (@djrothkopf) May 4, 2021
Define tighten https://t.co/fgCXTFA3Nx
— John Iadarola (@johniadarola) May 4, 2021
“Tighten”
Sometimes it feels like CBS’s political coverage is all aimed at one conservative viewer who is *this close* to never watching “Blue Bloods” again if they say something “biased” like that it’s good for people to be able to easily legally vote https://t.co/WLzR4JCLIM
— James Poniewozik (@poniewozik) May 4, 2021
“tighten voting laws” https://t.co/Y04uaxel9n
— Steven Lemongello (@SteveLemongello) May 4, 2021
“tighten state voting laws”….. https://t.co/pqzqJAOMJp
— Sawyer Hackett (@SawyerHackett) May 4, 2021
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